Cowboys owner frustrated with David Buehler's injury

IRVING -- David Buehler is on injured reserve, and that had owner Jerry Jones on Friday questioning the kickoff specialist's preparation.

Buehler missed four games earlier this season after injuring his right groin. He returned for two games before tearing it in practice Wednesday. The Dallas Cowboys placed him on injured reserve Thursday.

"Let me just say this: I'm frustrated because you would expect players to... and I understand injury, but he has known all along how to prepare and how to get in shape and how to prepare himself and be ready to be a kicker," Jones said on his weekly radio show on KRLD/105.3 FM.

"Now, it's frustrating to have your kicker injured. So he's a valuable asset, especially with the rules as they are right now, we're going to be playing some key away games out in the weather. We'd like to have him kicking in them because he is a better kickoff guy than [Dan] Bailey. So I'm very frustrated. It is his job to stay ready to play and prepare himself so those kinds of things for what he's got to do don't come up."

Buehler said it will take about five weeks for his leg, which is black and blue, to heal.

Buehler had 51 touchbacks in his first two seasons and nine this year.

Bailey has punted this year. He has made 19 field goals in a row and 20 of 21 for the season. He has kicked off and now will take on the kickoff role full time.

"It's not really a big deal," Bailey said. "It's just something I have to do. I'll do my best. Obviously, David has a big leg, so I'm not going to go out there and try to over-kick and kick like he does.

"But I'm going to go out there and do my best, and hopefully it's good enough."

Bailey has six touchbacks in the four games he has kicked off. He has allowed 18 kickoffs to be run back for a 21.8 average with a long of 29.

Harris is hurt

The Cowboys' plan to promote practice squad receiver Dwayne Harris to the active roster for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills hit a snag when he injured a hamstring near the end of Thursday's practice.

Now with Harris ailing, the Cowboys are considering bringing Akwasi Owusu-Ansah to the 53-player roster instead.

The Cowboys need another receiver on the roster because Miles Austin is out two to four weeks with a hamstring injury. Laurent Robinson will start in his place opposite Dez Bryant, but the suddenly thin depth at the position has the Cowboys not wanting to risk Bryant and backup Kevin Ogletree on returns.

Harris, a 2011 sixth-round pick, was the logical option to fill the void because he was the primary punt returner for the first five weeks of the season before he was released and re-signed to the practice squad.

Owusu-Ansah, a fourth-round pick in 2010, played safety as a rookie and during training camp this season but was released before the season. He was signed back to the practice squad and moved to receiver.

Owusu-Ansah, who averaged 21.7 yards on 25 kickoff returns and had four fair catches on punts last season, worked on both return teams in practice Friday.

Felix is out

Running back Felix Jones will miss his fourth consecutive game. He said Friday his high left ankle sprain is not ready yet, and the Cowboys ruled him out of Sunday's game.

Jones has missed the past three games with the injury. In Jones' absence, rookie DeMarco Murray has run for 466 yards. It is the best three-game stretch in team history.

Miles Austin (hamstring) and cornerback Mike Jenkins (hamstring) also will not play this week. Right guard Kyle Kosier (foot), linebacker Sean Lee (wrist) and punter Mat McBriar (foot) are questionable.

Charean Williams

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This story was originally published November 11, 2011 at 10:13 PM with the headline "Cowboys owner frustrated with David Buehler's injury."